Mary Ann Clark: Why is there evil?

[Mary Ann Clark]

Why is there evil in the world and what is our responsibility in the face of evil?

The Orisha traditions are unusual in the world of religions for having a generally positive rather than negative outlook. That is, rather than seeing life as a vale of tears or a world of suffering, the basic philosophy is that life is good and that people are meant to be healthy, happy and productive. There is no good/evil dualism in Yoruba thinking. It was surprising to the first Europeans when they tried to proselytize the Yoruba people and couldn’t find an inherently evil figure, a devil, in the Yoruba pantheon. Instead what they found was Eshu who is sometimes called Eleggua. Eshu isn’t an inherently evil figure rather he’s a trickster. Sometimes he plays nasty tricks on people to test their character but while he punishes those who fail, he also rewards those who prove worthy. Everyone and everything has the potential for both good and bad actions and it is one’s character that determines whether the most of one’s actions are generally beneficial or detrimental.

While Orisha devotees see the world as a good and blessed place we recognize that there is evil in the world. Sometime unfortunate events are tests put in our way by Eshu or other deities and sometimes they are the result of the malicious behavior of people or other types of spiritual beings. Many African traditions, including this one, have an interesting response to the apparently random bad luck that plagues individuals. Believing that everyone should live a long, happy and productive life, when that expectation isn’t met, they look for causes. Random bad luck, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, isn’t a sufficient answer for them. Although character tests by Eshu and other deities may cause some misfortune, the more general, all-purpose explanation for bad luck is “witchcraft.” Without a devil, witchcraft isn’t seen as a personality trait or decision to act in an evil way but instead is viewed as a power one has. Witchcraft doesn’t describe something that one is but rather some ability that one has to act in extraordinary ways. Those with witchcraft power can use it to better their own or others lives or they can use it maliciously. Sometimes one isn’t aware of his or her own power and so may cause unintended misfortune; sometimes the attempt to help an individual or group has a negative effect on some other person or group. Thus one of the responsibilities of society as a whole is to control those who use their powers (both their witchcraft power and other powers) inappropriately and to support those who use their powers well.

We as individuals also have a responsibility to use our powers to the betterment of the community as a whole. Much of the religious practice of Orisha religion is aimed at protecting people from the intended or unintended witchcraft of others. Many people come to practitioners when the misfortunes of their lives appear to be unresponsive to other types of interventions, when their illness isn’t responding to treatment, or their own efforts toward a good job or a loving partner or healthy children are not producing the desired results. Priests can talk to Eshu and the other deities to see if the misfortunes are their way of communicating with the individual or if they are willing to help protect against the witchcraft of others and make the situation better. Priests can also use their own powers on the behalf of themselves and others.

Although people tend to be most concerned about their own lives and those of their families and friends, much of this work is done on an individual level. But the same powers that can protect an individual from misfortune can also be used for the benefit of larger groups and even societies. We all have powers that can be used for the benefit of ourselves and others. The ethical question for me is how can I use my powers in the most responsible way knowing that aiding one may be detrimental to another. I can see that in many cases, what is seen as evil by one person or group is seen as beneficial to another. In that case, whose benefit should prevail? Our tendency as human beings is to work for the benefit of ourselves, our families and friends and to help others when that doesn’t cause hardship on those closest to us. I think that much of the evil in the world is caused by people making just such decisions, decisions that they perceive as beneficial without concern about the consequences (intended or unintended) on others. Our challenge is to use all of our powers in such a way that we cause more fortune than misfortune. That’s not easy and once you recognize that everyone is acting in a way meant to make things better, at least for some select group of people, the question of “evil” and what to do about it becomes much more complex.